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Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Photo: USFWS – Pacific Region, Public domain 
Kokanee
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 
Walleye
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0 
Mountain Whitefish
Photo: Mike Cline, Public domain
Washington lakes and reservoirs
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Yale Reservoir Fishing
A 3,612-acre Washington reservoir in Cowlitz and Clark counties.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Lake Merwin: Jesse Keating, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cowlitz County
Yale Reservoir in figures
Yale Reservoir holds 3,612 surface acres of water in Cowlitz and Clark counties, per WDFW. WDFW records the lake at about 486 feet. The run to Amboy, the closest town, is about 10 miles. WDFW manages it as trout-emphasis water. The WDFW plant report places its county in WDFW Region 5.
The WDFW and State Parks layers list no launch on it. Bank anglers have 1 shore fishing site. It carries 2 Special Rules of its own. WDFW rates shoreline access as good.
3,612surface acres
486 ftelevation
0launches
1shore sites
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers on geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov (surface acres, elevation, management emphasis, shoreline access, species), USGS NHD outlines, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 31, 2026.
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Species the WDFW lake layer names at Yale Reservoir
For Yale Reservoir, our WDFW sources list the species below.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Access
Ramps on Yale Reservoir
No launch on Yale Reservoir appears in the access layers, so nearby ramps are shown.
Fishing Yale Reservoir from shore
- Yale Reservoir shore accessshore fishing site, 1200 feet of shore fishing south of the ramp, 700 feet north
WDFW Water Access Sites and Shore Fishing Sites layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov) and the Washington State Parks boat launch layer, retrieved October 31, 2026. A Discover Pass is needed to park at WDFW access sites and State Parks launches.
Level
Level reading for Yale Reservoir
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Yale Reservoir Near Cougar, Wa | 473.00 ft lake elevation | Nov 3 12:00 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 3, 2026 12:33 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Each Yale Reservoir figure names its agency and time.
Limits
Limits that apply on Yale Reservoir
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only largemouth bass less than 12" may be retained, except 1 over 17" may be retained. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Smallmouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only 1 smallmouth bass over 14" may be retained. Daily limit 10. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Walleye | Min. size 12" in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 8. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. May be caught, retained, and released alive from a livewell until daily limit is in possession. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Channel Catfish | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Burbot (Freshwater Ling) | No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Crappie, Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Perch, Suckers, Sunfish, | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Grass Carp | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
| Kokanee | No min. size. Daily limit 10. When fishing with bait, all kokanee that are lawful to possess and are equal to or greater than the minimum size are counted as part of the daily limit whether kept or released. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Tiger Muskellunge (Tiger Muskie) | Min. size 50". Daily limit 1. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Whitefish | No min. size. Daily limit 15. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Steelhead | Release all wild steelhead. Min. size 20". Daily limit 2. Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed. | Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed |
| Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout | In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23) |
| Trout (combined rivers and lakes same day) | The combined daily limit for an angler that fishes in both rivers and lakes on the same day is 5 trout, no more than 2 may be from rivers. | see the pamphlet |
| Lake Trout | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Eastern Brook Trout (EBT) | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Dolly Varden/Bull Trout | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
Yale Reservoir follows the statewide freshwater tables except where the pamphlet names it.
Special Rules WDFW lists for Yale Reservoir
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Yale Reservoir | All game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
| Yale Reservoir | Salmon | Landlocked salmon rules. (Year-round) |
Special Rules as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), pamphlet page 91 (pamphlet PDF), read on eRegulations October 31, 2026.
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), PDF page 27 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations statewide freshwater page), read October 31, 2026.
Compare
Measuring Yale Reservoir against its neighbours
The size leader in this set is Swift Reservoir, 4,585 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Reservoir | 3,612 | 486 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Swift Power Canal | 6 miles northeast | 91 | 607 ft | 0 | 4 |
| Lake Merwin | 6 miles west | 3,836 | 242 ft | 0 | 2 |
| Merrill Lake | 7 miles north | 283 | 1,524 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Swift Reservoir | 11 miles east | 4,585 | 1,012 ft | 0 | 1 |
| Fargher Lake | 12 miles southwest | 16 | 664 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Nearby
Around the Yale Reservoir area
Lakes for a second day beyond Yale Reservoir
- Swift Power Canal6 miles northeast
- Lake Merwin6 miles west
- Merrill Lake7 miles north
- Swift Reservoir11 miles east
- Fargher Lake12 miles southwest
Where to buy worms, eggs and jigs for Yale Reservoir
- Cannon Marinemarina, Brush Prairie
- Pacific Northwest Sporting Goodbait and tackle shop, Camas
- Marina Ridgefieldmarina, Ridgefield
- Felida Moorage & Marine Servicemarina, Vancouver
- Hawken Fishingbait and tackle shop, Vancouver
- JT Marine Incmarina, Vancouver
Guide boats working Yale Reservoir
- Fish Hunters Guide Servicecharter, Washougal, (360) 910-4542
- Fishing With Larry Schoenborncharter, Vancouver, (360) 260-7138
- Columbia River Fishing Slayerfishing guide, Castle Rock, (360) 270-0641
Washington towns handy to Yale Reservoir
- Amboy10 miles
- Yacolt10 miles
- Lewisville16 miles
Counties that hold part of Yale Reservoir
- Cowlitz Countyseat: Kelso
- Clark Countyseat: Vancouver
Piscifun
What Piscifun sells for a morning at Yale Reservoir
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Fish photos
How to tell one Yale Reservoir fish from another, by photo
Photo: USFWS – Pacific Region, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Mike Cline, Public domain
Answers
Yale Reservoir, asked and answered for Evergreen State anglers
Which Washington county holds Yale Reservoir?
Drive toward Cowlitz and Clark counties, about 10 miles from Amboy.
How big is Yale Reservoir by the WDFW figure?
3,612 acres in the WDFW layer.
How many launches do the access layers show on Yale Reservoir?
No ramp is recorded for it in the layers we use.
Does Yale Reservoir hold trout?
Listed species: coastal cutthroat trout and kokanee.
Which 2026-27 pamphlet rows govern Yale Reservoir?
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout: In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5.; Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23). WDFW adds rules of its own for it in the limits band.
Which WDFW license does an out-of-state angler buy for Yale Reservoir?
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Has WDFW stocked Yale Reservoir this year?
It does not appear on the 2026 plant report yet.
Which tackle shop on our Washington list is nearest Yale Reservoir?
Cannon Marine is the nearest tackle stop we list in the same county.
Which agency reports the level of Yale Reservoir?
Check the level band; the source is USGS.
Load the truck for Yale Reservoir
Every WDFW fee and statewide limit sits one click away.